FOOD for Lane County seeing substantial increase in demand in 2023

LANE COUNTY, Ore. — With the cost of living continuing to increase, the budget people have for food has dwindled, meaning more and more are turning to food banks or other means to meet their food needs.

Since extended SNAP benefits came to a close in February of this year, Food for Lane County (FFLC) has seen a noticable increase in demand for food assistance. According to FFLC's internal numbers, those asking for help has increased as much as 30% in the last year, with many citing the end of extended SNAP benefits as one of the largest reasons they need easily accessible food.

"One in seven people in the United States faces food insecurity, and one in five children," said Carolyn Stein, the executive director with Food for Lane County. "And the numbers are similar here in Lane County, and even higher to some extent."

In 2022, roughly 13% of people in Lane County experienced food insecurity, while the national average is just over 11%.

This trend isn't just isolated to 2023, as FFLC has distributed more food year over year since the beginning of 2021. In order to match demand, FFLC, like many other food banks around Oregon, have started buying food from vendors, moving away from almost entirely relying on donated food.

According to Stein, they only have enough food in storage to last 4-5 weeks, while in previous years there was enough food to last nearly double that time period.

"Food insecurity is almost invisible," Stein said. "A lot of the people that access our pantries are employed, and they just don't have enough to get them to the end of the month. So anyway that the community can come out and support people, making sure that they have the food that they need helps them live healthy lives."

For those looking to help, you can donate food, or money, to FFLC directly, or volunteer through their website.